Will Bankruptcy Stop A Civil Lawsuit

What Is A Proof Of Claim

The most important step in protecting your claim against the defendant employer in the bankruptcy court is to file a proof of claim. The proof of claim:

The proof of claim is a single-page form that may be filed under your signature. Although you do not need the signature of an attorney admitted to the bankruptcy court in which the defendant/debtor has filed, in order to file the proof of claim, a bankruptcy attorney certainly should be consulted, as there are deadlines for filing the proof of claim.

The official proof of claim form is available from the bankruptcy court. Most, if not all, of the bankruptcy courts are online now, and make available all of the necessary forms, sometimes including model examples, in a downloadable .pdf format that can be printed out and completed, or in an online writeable form.

What Happens If I File Bankruptcy And Have A Lawsuit Pending

In many cases, as soon as one of the people involved in the lawsuit notifies the court of the bankruptcy filing, the judge responsible for the matter will suspend the case. Lawsuits that will most likely be suspended are those that might affect your debts or your property. These may include cases involving: credit cards.

Bankruptcy Will Stop Lawsuits

If you are going to file bankruptcy, there is no reason to delay the filing just because there is a pending lawsuit against you. Lawsuits are a drain on the debtor, taking up their time, energy and money. By filing bankruptcy before a lawsuit, you save yourself the stress and strain of going through that ordeal.

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Can Filing Bankruptcy Stop A Lawsuit Against Me

Bankruptcy normally will stop a lawsuit that has been filed against you.

When you file for bankruptcy, as a general rule all lawsuits will be stayed or stopped while your bankruptcy petition is considered by the bankruptcy court.

This means that unless a judgment has been entered against you, then nothing will happen to the lawsuit until the bankruptcy court decides whether your debts will be discharged or not discharged.

If your debts are discharged, then the lawsuit will normally go away.

So think of bankruptcy as both a temporary and permanent solution to a lawsuit that is filed against you by a debt collector, creditor, etc.

The temporary part is the lawsuit is frozen or stayed so nothing will happen while your bankruptcy case is considered.

The permanent part is if you qualify for a discharge of the debt you have been sued on and a discharge means the debt is forever gone then the lawsuit will be killed and you will not have to deal with a judgment, going to court, etc on the lawsuit.

Stopping A Creditor Lawsuit With The Automatic Stay

The moment you file for bankruptcy, an order called the automatic stay goes into effect. Once in place, the automatic stay prohibits most creditors from initiating or continuing to collect against you, including through collection lawsuits. A credit card company that has already filed a debt collection lawsuit against you cannot proceed further while the stay is in effect without permission from the bankruptcy court. Although creditors are free to ask the court to lift the stay, a credit card company usually doesn’t have legal grounds to win the motion.

Find out more about how the automatic stay protects you from creditors.

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Bankruptcy Will Discharge Most Lawsuit Judgments

The majority of lawsuit judgments against bankruptcy debtors involve unpaid debts. If you don’t pay your credit cards, medical bills, or other personal loans, the lender or creditor can bring a breach of contract lawsuit against you. If your lender obtains a judgment, it can garnish your wages or go after your assets to satisfy the outstanding judgment.

Fortunately, filing for bankruptcy can stop the garnishment and wipe out your obligation to pay back discharged debts. If a lawsuit is still pending, the bankruptcy’s automatic stay will prevent it from moving forward. However, even if the lawsuit resulted in a judgment, the bankruptcy will eliminate your liability as long as the debt qualifies for discharge. But keep in mind that if the judgment is for a nondischargeable debt, bankruptcy will not get rid of it .

Is Bankruptcy The Solution

The should not, in general, be driven by a single debt.

Consider your total financial picture, the scope of relief that bankruptcy offers, and the non bankruptcy alternatives.

But often, filing of a collection action reinforces the idea that you need to do something to regain control of your financial future.

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How Does Filing For Bankruptcy Stop Lawsuits And Judgments

When you file for bankruptcy, an automatic stay is put in place. An automatic stay is like a big stop sign that temporarily stops creditors from contacting you. It forces creditors and other parties to wait during your bankruptcy period and see how things are resolved. It allows time for you, your bankruptcy attorney and the court to work together to create a new financial plan. Whether a lawsuit is pending or a judgment is already in place, you can still move forward with filing for bankruptcy and take advantage of the automatic stay.

Filing Bankruptcy To Avoid A Judgment Or Lawsuit

Home » Blog » Filing Bankruptcy to Avoid a Judgment or Lawsuit

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2016-12-15

For the average person, a judgment or lawsuit is a scary thing. This is not just someone calling you for collection or sending you past due notices. Somebody is using the legal system and the courts to collect money from you. You feel like you are at their mercy. What happens if you cant repay what you owe or if doing so would cause undue personal financial hardship? Can you file bankruptcy if you are being sued?

Filing bankruptcy discharges most unsecured debts.

In most cases, a debt arising from a judgment lawsuit can be discharged and an existing lawsuit is stopped as soon as you file bankruptcy. Even if your creditor has already taken action to garnish your wages, the garnishment can be stopped once your bankruptcy is filed with the government.

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Should I Respond To The Lawsuit

Whether one should respond to a debt collection lawsuit really depends on the specific facts and circumstances of their case. For example, if the debtor in question has very little assets and no job, then they dont need to worry too much about a judgment causing immediate problems.

But if they have real estate or a job, it could cause some temporary discomfort if the creditor pursues a wage garnishment or bank account levy.

If they record a lien against your real estate, that can also be a problem which can usually be remedied in a bankruptcy case, but removing the lien will require additional fees and steps.

In most cases, responding to the lawsuit will buy time necessary to get the bankruptcy case prepared and filed.

And, of course, if you do not actually owe the money, it will give you the opportunity to explain that and prevent the creditor from collecting against you.

What Can The Debtor Do If A Creditor Attempts To Collect A Discharged Debt After The Case Is Concluded

If a creditor attempts collection efforts on a discharged debt, the debtor can file a motion with the court, reporting the action and asking that the case be reopened to address the matter. The bankruptcy court will often do so to ensure that the discharge is not violated. The discharge constitutes a permanent statutory injunction prohibiting creditors from taking any action, including the filing of a lawsuit, designed to collect a discharged debt. A creditor can be sanctioned by the court for violating the discharge injunction. The normal sanction for violating the discharge injunction is civil contempt, which is often punishable by a fine.

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What A Stay Of Proceeding Will Stop

It doesnt matter what stage the action against you is in. Filing bankruptcy provides protection from of all actions which means:

• If someone is threatening legal action for money you owe them, a stay of proceedings eliminates the threat.
• If they filed documents with a Court, the stay will stop the court action from proceeding.
• If someone has already started a legal action again a stay stops the action dead in its tracks.
• If someone has already sued you and been given a Judgment against you by the Court the stay of proceedings stops the enforcement of the Court Order.

One of the most common actions stopped as a result of the stay from filing bankruptcy is a wage garnishment.

As you can see, a stay of proceedings is a very powerful benefit when you file a consumer proposal or bankruptcy.

What A Stay Wont Do

A stay does not work against Orders to pay child or spousal support. The only way to stop this kind of Court Ordered payment is to return to the Court that issued the Order and ask for it to be changed.

It is quite unusual for a creditor to bring a motion to lift the stay we see fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases in our practice every year and sometimes all they are doing is establishing a value for a claim in bankruptcy anyway.

A bankruptcy stay also wont deal with the types of debt not normally included under bankruptcy law. This includes things like fines and penalties, support payments, debts arising out of fraud or misrepresentation, restitution Orders, and most student loans if you have left school recently. .

If you have been threatened with or are already involved in a lawsuit then you should speak to your legal counsel and a trustee to determine if filing a consumer proposal or personal bankruptcy will be of any benefit to you.

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Do Judgments Impact Your Credit

For many years, judgments and liens appeared in the public records section of credit reports, but that is no longer the case. Bankruptcies are now the only public records collected and listed on credit reports maintained by the three national .

Chapter 7 bankruptcies appear on your credit reports for 10 years from the date of the bankruptcy filing, while Chapter 13 bankruptcies remain for seven years from the filing date.

A bankruptcy negatively affects your credit score as long as it remains on your credit report, but its impact diminishes over time. Since judgments and liens no longer appear on credit reports, they have no effect on credit scores.

Legal judgments and their consequences, including garnished wages and drained bank accounts, can compound the distress of mounting debt. Filing bankruptcy is stressful in its own right, but it can bring instant relief from judgments, in many cases eliminating them permanently.

What Is A Discharge In Bankruptcy

A bankruptcy discharge releases the debtor from personal liability for certain specified types of debts. In other words, the debtor is no longer legally required to pay any debts that are discharged. The discharge is a permanent order prohibiting the creditors of the debtor from taking any form of collection action on discharged debts, including legal action and communications with the debtor, such as telephone calls, letters, and personal contacts.

Although a debtor is not personally liable for discharged debts, a valid lien that has not been avoided in the bankruptcy case will remain after the bankruptcy case. Therefore, a secured creditor may enforce the lien to recover the property secured by the lien.

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You Can File A Bankruptcy With A Lawsuit Pending But The Lawsuit Will Probably Be Put On Hold

COVID-19 Update: Bankruptcy courts will hold 341 creditor meetings telephonically or by video appearance until 60 days after the termination of the Presidents COVID-19 National Emergency Proclamation. For details, visit the U.S. Trustees 341 meeting status webpage or your courts website. If youre one of the many struggling with debt due to COVID-19, its best to develop a financial plan early. Learn about your options in What to Do If You Cant Pay Bills Due to the Coronavirus or about bankruptcy for small businesses.

You can file for bankruptcy when you have a lawsuit pending in another court. The bankruptcy case will likely suspend the trial temporarily or end it altogether if it concerns money or property. By contrast, the bankruptcy wont stop most cases brought in the family or criminal court. In this article, youll find out how bankruptcy will affect another court case.

For background on bankruptcy, start with How Bankruptcy Works.

Should I Answer The Complaint

The law presumes that if you dont answer the complaint, you agree with the contention of the lawsuit.

Consider answering the lawsuit if 1) you have a defense or 2) you want to buy time to consider your options.

Californians can find information about representing themselves in state law matters from the courts legal self help site.

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What Positive Steps Should I Take To Preserve My Claim

Bankruptcy often is about negotiated resolutions. This is an area in which the squeaky wheel more often than not gets the grease. That is not to say that grease equals justice. However, careful planning may help you thwart a defendant employers attempt to use its bankruptcy to avoid the debt owed to you as the plaintiff.

Here are some of the steps that you and/or your attorney can take to preserve your claim, discussed in more detail below:

Dissolution And Support Cases

A bankruptcy filing won’t stop a divorce proceeding. Similarly, the bankruptcy court won’t get involved in a family court’s determination regarding the amount of alimony or child support someone should pay. However, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can wipe out a property division settlement. If you’re dealing with this complicated area, you should seek advice from an attorney who understands how bankruptcy and family law intersect.

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Type Of Collection Attempt Being Made

Not all collection attempts are the same. The types of collection attempts being made can impact the length of time a stay governs collection attempts as well as the amount of debt to be repaid, if any. Creditors can take action against a debtor entity or that debtor entitys property. In most cases where a creditor is attempting to collect from a corporate debtor, the automatic stay will remain in place until the debtor receives a discharge. Once a debtor receives a discharge, collection attempts by creditors can legally resume on any debt not included in the discharge. If a debt is discharged, the bankruptcy stay bars its creditors from ever attempt to collect the debt.

The power of a bankruptcy stay also depends on whether the creditor seeks to collect collateral property. Collateral property consists of items governed by agreements between a borrower and a lender. Collateral property is often put up by borrowers to secure a loan to the lender, the collateral property serves as security on the loan should the borrower fail to meet repayment requirements. Even when a debtor files bankruptcy, that filing does not affect a lenders entitlement to the value of the collateral property or the property itself. In this case, a debtor must file a statement of intention to either surrender the property used as collateral, reaffirm its original debt, or redeem the value of the collateral property to repay lenders.

Removing A Judgment Lien From Your Property

As a general rule, liens placed on your property prior to filing will survive after bankruptcy. There are exceptions to this rule!

Your attorney can avoid some liens using tools built into the bankruptcy code. Still other liens can be satisfied after you have received your bankruptcy discharge by using Wisconsin law.

Bankruptcy cant get rid of every judgement lien, but there are many types of judgment liens that can be eliminated through bankruptcy. It is important to consult with an attorney to determine if these laws can help you.

For more information regarding elimination of certain liens, schedule a free appointment with Attorney Steven R. McDonald today to discuss your bankruptcy options.

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Types Of Civil Lawsuits Bankruptcy Stops

When your bankruptcy case is approved, the court is given jurisdiction over any cases involving the allegation that you owe someone money. This could be due to failing to pay a debt or being held liable for someones accident injuries. For qualifying cases, the court would handle the underlying debt and the lawsuit would be dismissed.

Some of the most common types of lawsuits that bankruptcy can stop include:

• Unpaid credit card balances
• Financial disputes between business partners
• Compensation for a personal injury case
• Collection of a deficiency balance

The specific way in which bankruptcy will affect your lawsuit, ultimately depends on the type of civil lawsuit, or the type of debt that forms the basis for the case. Reach out to our certified bankruptcy attorneys to discover how bankruptcy can impact your particular suit.

How Much Does Bankruptcy Cost

Many factors play a role in the cost of filing bankruptcy. We are happy to give you an estimate of the fees and costs involved over the telephone. After we have an opportunity to meet with you, we will be able to evaluate your case completely and quote you an accurate fee.

Will bankruptcy stop a lawsuit against me?

A bankruptcy filing will stop a lawsuit and prevent your creditors from placing a lien against your house or garnishing your wages.

Can I file for bankruptcy every few years?

No. A debtor cannot obtain a discharge in a Chapter 7 case if the debtor obtained a discharge in a Chapter 7 case filed within the past eight years, or a Chapter 13 case filed within the past six years. The time periods in either case are measured from the commencement dates of the respective cases. The dates of discharge have no bearing on the disqualification. Please contact Miller & Miller Law, LLC, for other options.

What should I do if I cannot make my Chapter 13 payment?

Ive filed for bankruptcy. Now what?

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